Sanitary can closure



Dec. 4, 1923. 1,476,214

F. 4J. O'BRIEN SANITARY CAN CLOSURE Filed May 17. 1922 Patented Dec. 4, 1923.

UNITED STATES 'FRANK J. OBRI'EN, or -nAIxrIMoRn, MARYLAND.'

SANITARY CAN cLosUnE.

Application led May 17, 1922. Serial No. 561,641.

To all lwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK J. OBRIEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Baltimore and State of Maryland, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Sanitary Can Closures; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in can closures and has for its object the provision of a container having a frictionally held cover hermetically sealed before the can is filled and which, after the can is once opened, may be replaced to form a practically air-tight closure.

A further object of the present invention is to simplify the method of making friction can closures and particularly the beading of the outer periphery of the cover. In the so-called sanitary cans now on the market and in which the entire top is removable after breaking the seal, the marginal edge of the cover is sharp and often causes a scratch or cut when prying it off the container, and it has been found impractical to form an effective seal which would include a beaded edge so that injury on removing the cover would be entirely obviated. In practicing the preferred method described herein the removable cover of the can is secured to the container by a single operation consisting of two steps (although the two steps may be separate o erations performed on separate machines the first of which positions the gasket and compresses it, and the second step of the operation follows immediately thereafter, and beads the outstanding flange or skirt of the cover and adds compression to the already positioned gasket to form the seal.

ln the drawings- I Figure 1 is a vertical section through a portion of the can with the first spinning roller just engaging the cover.

Fig. 2 is a similar View at the end of the movement of the first spinning roller.

Fig. 3 shows the` second spinning roller be inning its movement.

ig. 4 shows the second spinning roller at about the middle of its operation.

Fig. 5 shows the parts in the final position with the can seam completed and the spinning roller ready to be withdrawn.

Itis customary in the art of making cans having removable tops or covers, to apply the removable cover in the can factory and 'to apply the permanent cover in the packin factory and the invention will be describe in accordance with that practice, although it should be understood that the invention is equally applicable to other systems wherein, for example, the removable cover is the last to be applied.

The container body 10 is usually open at both ends and is in the form of ahollow cylinder formed from a rectangular sheet of tin seamed and solderedalong a line parallel to its axis. The cover 11 is pressed from a disk of tin so as to form a central dome 14 surrounded'by a Valley portion 15 forming an annular st1ff'ening rib. Before spinning, the cover has its marginal portion bent. to form a rectangular channel formed by the vertical upstanding portion 16, the central portion 17 forming the inverted bottom of the'channel and a downwardly extending vertical portion 18 whichl forms the outside cylindrical edge of the cover.

A gasket 20 of rubber or other similar material is affixed to the cover in any preferred manner as by adhesive, for example, in case a ring of the usual type is employed, or this gasket 2O may be formed by depositing a layer of liquid rubber composition in the corner of the cover as shown.4

The container body is placed on the usual spinning table (not shown) and the cover is placed on the chuck 24 -which is rotated at a high speed as is customary in the art. The upward movement of the spinning table carrying with it the container body, in conjunction with the spinningI roller action hereafter described, flares the container body as at 25 and brings the cover into snug engagement with the body. The first spinning roller 27 is moved transversely to its axis which is always parallel to the axis of the can, this action bringing the annular rounded projection 28 into contact with the side portion 18 at a point slightly below the center of the latter, the smooth horizontal edge 29 of the spinning roller engagin the upper surface of the channel bottom Continued movement of the rollerindents the edge 18 asy at 30 of Fig. 2 deforming and compressing the gasket 20 against the outer surface 31 of the container body 10. The diameter of the extreme edge 32 of the can cover is not apprecia-bly changed durin this process since the curved surface 33 o the first spinning roller permits the edge to advanced in the same way as the first, the

edge 32 first engaging the inclined spinning surface 36 which curls the edge 32 upwardly into the groove 37, the upper wall 38 of which causes the peripheral edge of the cover to turn through an arc so as to direct it nearly parallel to the can body, thus forming a bead 39. At the same time the projection 40 engages the central portion 41 of the outside edge of the cover and insures that such portion is indented sufficiently to compress the gasket 20 to the desired deree. g The closure edge thus formed is perfectly smooth on the outside havingan uppcr smooth curved edge 42 slightly fiared and having a smooth lower beaded edge 39 onrneither of which it is possible to cut the hand in the act of removing the coverror on replacing the cover after use.

`The finished cover has a central dome 14, an annular stiff'ening rib 15, a cylindrical portion 16, a fiat portion 17 having a marginal bead 42, which with the inwardly directed incline 44, the cylindrical portion 40 and the closed bead 39, form an annular flange which is spaced from the wall of the can to accommodate the gasket 20, the latter entirely filling the upper half of the channel between the fiange'and the can.

In order to remove the contents of the container for the first time the gasket 20 is removed in the usual manner after -which the cover is held to the container merely by "can which consists in forming a down` wardly directed channel in the cover, applying a gasket within said channel, applying ,said cover toa container, indenting a central portion of the outer wall of the channel of the cover to compress the gasket against the container and to fiare the edge c portion of the cover outwardly and downwardly, and in spinning such outwardly flared portion of the cover to form a bead.

2. The method of' closing a cover on a container which consists in applying a gasket to the cover, placing the cover on the container, spinning the cover flange until the gasket is compressed against the container, and in then spinning the margin of the cover flange to form a beaded edge.

3. A can seam including a flare container a cover frictionally engaging the container and extending beyond the wall of the container parallel to the top of the container and then turned downward to form a channel,` the outer wall of said channel being spaced from the container wall a sufiicient distance to permit easy removal of the cover over the fiared edge of the container, the lower edge of said cover being turnedy upward and inward to form a bead, and a gasket between vvthe outer wall of'the channel and the outer surface of said container.

4. A gasketed can seam comprising a container, a gasket, and a removable and replaceable cover; characterized by the cover having a downturned outer flange one side centrally indented to engage the gasket to compress `it against the wall of the container, said flange having a beaded edge.

5. A gasketedl can seam comprising a container, a gasket, and a removable and replaceable cover; characterized by the cover having a downturned outer flange one side centrally indented to engage the gasket `t0 compress itagainst the 4wall of the container, said flange having an upturnedl beaded edge.

6. A container cover*y having an annular invertedl channel, the outer surface of the inner wall of the channel engaging the inner surface of the wall of the container, and the inner surface of the outer wall of the channel being spaced from the wall of the container, said outer wall being further indented ccntrally and having a beaded edge.

7. A container cover of the friction type characterized by the provision of an inturned margin forming a beaded edge, the' inner diameter of said edge being sufficiently greater than the outside diameter of the container mouth to permit easy replacement of the cover on the container with -thc' beaded edge surrounding the container.

8. A cover comprisinga top having an annular fiange vformed with an inward in- Cline, a beaded edge, and acylindrical portion connecting said incline with said edge.

9. A cover comprising a top having an annular flange formed with an inward ineline, a beaded edge, and a cylindrical portion connecting said incline with said edge,- tlie 'outside diameter of said beaded edge being greater than the greatest diameter of said incline. l

10. A frictiontype can-cover comprising a top having a can receiving channel formedof a plurality of substantiallyyertical walls,

i tbe inner of which is adapte@ to engage the 'inner surface of the can and a horizontai portion having a beaded margin connecting said vertical Walls.

.11. A friction closure of rigid sheet meta?` having a beaded margin, a closed beaded edge, and an indented portion connecting said beads.

12. A closure comprising a sheet of metal having a central dome, an annular stiienle gasket engaging wall and a 'bead at the le lower end of said Wall.

FRAN K J. A OBRIEN. 

